A wide variety of heat exchanger structures for fireplaces, providing for both forced and convection flow of air from a room, have been devised for installation in fireplaces or in conjunction with fireplaces in such a manner as to recover some of the heat which is normally lost through fireplace chimneys. Most of such previously known heat exchange structures have been built into the walls of fireplaces at the time of initial construction of the fireplace. Those heat exchanger assemblies which have been constructed for use in existing fireplaces of varying sizes have either been unduly cumbersome and expensive to install, or have been inadequate as efficient and effective heat exchangers. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,702,030 and 3,635,211.
The auxiliary heater of this invention has been developed with a view towards overcoming the aforesaid difficulties associated with previously known fireplace heaters, and with providing an auxiliary fireplace heater which is capable of providing the combined benefits of being quickly and easily, removably installed in an existing fireplace, and of being operable to efficiently and effectively serve as a supplemental space heater.